The chapel of Khosrov the Martyr Chapel :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

The chapel of Khosrov the Martyr Chapel

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Gandzak / Gandzak

Location

The chapel of Khosrov the Martyr is located in the north of Gandzak, in the town site of Hin Gandzak.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 60.

Historical Introduction

According to a work of 1167, entitled “A Hagiography of St. Khosrov, the Great Martyr of Eternal Glory Called Nor Nahatak who was tortured to death in Aghvank capital Gandzak,” Khosrov was from a village adjoining the city: “...St. Khosrov, a Christian by faith, was from a Christian family dwelling near the city of Gandzak, Arran.” Khosrov fell victim to the intrigues of a Persian girl: “...An Armenian fellow named Khosrov, a very handsome boy who was his parents’ and everybody’s apple of eyes. His family lived in the neighbourhood of some Persians whose daughter fell in love with him and did her utmost to entice him into her trap and make him answer her love. Then another person got her pregnant, but she told her father that Khosrov had raped her. Upset about what he had heard, the Persian arrested the Armenian youth and took him to Gandzak emir, who started urging him to renounce his faith and marry the young lady, by giving him many tempting promises; otherwise, he was threatened with being sent to prison. Khosrov, however, remained firm in his answers even when his parents came. Instead of expostulating him to remain loyal to his creed, they started persuading him to repudiate his religion at least outwardly, for the sake of escaping death in the prime of life (later he might leave the country and atone for his sins somewhere else). Khosrov, however, answered that he would rather sacrifice his bodily beauty for the sake of Christ, who would bestow spiritual beauty on him. “Seeing that he clang to his religion after so many promises and threats, the Persians took him to the country, bound him with a tree and stoned him to death. Then they cut down the tree and wanted to burn it, but a priest bought it by silver and had a cross erected in its site. The local Christians buried the martyr with high honours...”

The Armenian equivalent for ‘New Martyr.’ Ter-Mkrtchian, G. Khosrov Gandzaketsy. In: “Ararat,” 1896, p. 591.
Chamchiants, M. History of Armenia from the Creation of the World until 1784 A.D., vol. 3, Venice, 1786, p. 436.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 60.

19 c․

In the late 19th century, Gandzak Armenians still recollected the following story connected with Khosrov’s martyrdom, “As an Armenian legend has it, this grave used to retain the remains of Armenian martyr Khosrov, who was tortured to death for his refusal to adopt Islam. According to a Persian legend, however, he was killed by his fellow Christians because of his conversion to the Muslims’ faith.”

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 302.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 60.

Later a chapel was erected in the site of the martyr’s grave, its dome bearing “some cruciform structures of green brick.” The sanctuary, that also served as a pilgrimage site, was known by the name of Gyog-Imam among the Muslims of the neighbourhood.

Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 302.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 60.

Description
1893 y․

Madam Chantre, a French researcher who visited Khosrov’s chapel in 1893, writes, “We were told that within an hour’s distance of Yelizavetpol stood a ruined Persian sanctuary called Imam-zade Mohammed Ibrahim. Eager to see it, we hired a cab and started in a north-eastern direction, following the course of the river Gandza, which we crossed for three times. ... Imam-zade, that is also called Blue Mosque due to the fact that its domes and doors are covered with blue faience, is guarded by several mullahs who permit visitors to see it without any difficulty. The monument rises in a plain abounding in ruins which are said to be the remnants of an old Persian city named Gezil-Astalan. The chapel, which is surrounded by its large cemetery, is not large at all, with a saint’s grave in the centre. Its doors and windows bear hanging pieces of rags, while the floor is covered with some small heaps of stone and modest gifts left by believers.
“Imam-zade represents a clay building without any architectural plan and design. It stands in an isolated plain that is covered with pebble and is extremely muddy. Only some meagre remnants of the ancient city can be seen here and there.
“The cemetery surrounding it is also of some interest: it cannot be regarded neglected, for burials are still held there. The local obelisk-shaped grave-stones, most of which are decorated with reliefs and finely-carved epitaphs, are set in east-facing niches. Some of them bear allegorical reliefs: thus, a young girl’s or lady’s grave is recognized by scissors, a mirror, water pots, perfume bottles and other articles of female use. Another grave-stone bears the representation of an armed horseman. One of the graves is truly unmatched: instead of an obelisk, it has a memorial horse that is completely saddled up.”

M. Chantre, A travers l’Arménie russe, Paris, 1893, pp. 6-7 (the French original reads, “On nous a dit qu’à une heure de la ville existe un sanctuaire persan en ruine, qu’on appelle imam-zaddeh Mahomet Ibrahim. Désireux de le visiter, nous louons un bon phaéton, et partons dans la direction nord-est d’Élisabethpol, en suivant le Gandja-tchaï, que l’on traverse trois fois à gué. ... L’imam-zaddeh, appelé aussi quelquefois §mosquée bleue¦, à cause du revêtement en faïences bleues des coupoles et des portes. La garde en est confiée à quelques mollahs, qui la laissent visiter sans difficulté. Cet édifice s’élève au milieu d’une plaine couverte de ruines, qu’on dit être les restes d’une ancienne ville persane appelée Gezil-Astalan, dont le vaste cimetière entoure le sanctuaire. La chapelle est très petite; au centre est le tombeau d’un saint. Des chiffons sont accrochés autour des ouvertures, portes et fenêtres, tandis que sur le sol se voient des tas de petites pierres, modestes offrandes des pieux musulmans. Imam-zaddeh est une construction en argile sans aucune architecture. Elle se dresse solitaire au milieu d’une plaine d’alluvions extrèmement caillouteuse, dernière épave de l’antique cité, dont on voit çà et là les restes. La visite du cimetière qui l’entoure ne manque pas d’intérêt. Il n’est point abandonné, car on y enterre encore. Les stèles sont généralement encastrées dans une niche tournée vers le levant. La plupart sont peintes, et portent de belles inscriptions; on y voit aussi des sujets allégoriques. La tombe d’une jeune fille ou d’une jeune femme se reconnaît aux ciseaux, miroir, aiguières, vases à parfums et autres accessoires féminins; celle d’un guerrier, aux armes et au cheval sculptés sur son monument. Parmi ces tombes s’en distingue une, unique en son genre: la stèl manque, mais elle est remplacée par un cheval en pierre tout sellé et bridé.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 60-61.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Gyog Imam
Imam Zade Mahomet Ibrahim
Kapuyt Mzkit